Adelaide captain Taylor Walker ready to face Grand Final demons in rematch against Richmond
TAYLOR Walker will return to the scene of his Grand Final capitulation on Friday night with dark memories still fresh, admitting he still thinks about last year’s loss. But he’s confident Adelaide can cause an upset on Friday night.
TAYLOR Walker will return to the scene of his Grand Final capitulation on Friday night with dark memories still fresh.
The Adelaide captain has had a turbulent time since the Crows were overawed by Richmond on the last Saturday in September.
Walker was criticised for an ineffectual game and he took responsibility for his performance, saying he “let the boys down”.
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Buoyed by a brilliant individual game and comeback win against West Coast on Saturday, Walker on Tuesday said he was ready to again face the Tigers at the MCG.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still think about the Grand Final,” Walker said.
“They’re (the Tigers) in great form … so are we, we’re coming off a good win at the weekend, so let’s go over there and try and beat them.
“I think we played some really good footy (on Saturday), obviously a very challenging first half of the year for us but you still need to put it in perspective, we’ve still got a long way to go, we’re still out of the eight, we’re still eyeing off playing finals.
“We’ve got some steps to take we just need to keep ticking off and what better way (than) to jump on the plane on Thursday and go over and try and beat the ladder leaders in Richmond.
“ … I would probably say it was my best quarter for the year (against the Eagles), got some good opportunities from the midfield, I thought the midfield were outstanding, I thought Sauce (Sam Jacobs) played a great game, great four quarter effort and the backs stood up really well, as well, across the board we had everyone playing their role.”
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Walker has previously said he was “super-anxious” before last year’s Grand Final and he told a leadership and culture consultancy firm’s website he had learned from the experience.
“If I get the chance again — and I hope we do this year — I’d prepare myself better,” Walker said.
“I was super-anxious before the game and I didn’t speak about my feelings or emotions.
“This year I’d be more inclined to say to the boys ‘look I’m s---ing myself too, it’s OK.’
“A big thing for me now is being more vulnerable in front of the group — showing more emotion.
“The team that played in the Grand Final sat around afterwards and we spoke about everything, which was good.
“We’ve jumped a hurdle because of that and now we can move on with clarity.”
Carlton legend Robert Walls said after the Grand Final that Walker lacked a physical presence.
“When the game was slipping away — you’ve got to get physical son, you’ve got to do something — and he didn’t,” Walls said.
Former Port Adelaide star Kane Cornes was also critical of Walker.
“Walker, along with (fellow key forward) Josh Jenkins, didn’t have an influence,” he said.
“He had a poor finals series. (There are) examples where he was beaten time and time again in a one-on-one contest.’’
TEX’S TOUGH ROAD
Taylor Walker has faced challenge after challenge since the 2017 Grand Final.
Grand Final
Criticised for playing the worst game of his season and for not being physically intimidating. “Crowbots” stance pre-match sparks controversy.
The eight-second runner-up speech
Walker cops it for his brief speech where he checked off the Tigers, his team, the sponsors and thanked the Crows fans all in less than 10 seconds.
Comments about Jake Lever leaving the Crows for Melbourne
Walker was labelled a buffoon and his captaincy questioned after he told Adelaide radio: “I think it’s (Lever) choosing money over success. For Jake, I think the difference in money was a lot. So if you’re driven by money or if you’re driven by success, that’s a decision you need to make.”
The leaked text
Some Crows players weren’t happy about what happened on the club’s controversial pre-season camp and when stories started to surface, Walker sent his troops a group message: “Boys, there’s some rumblings around the camp. Don’t talk to anyone, let’s discuss it in the morning. Disappointing Tex.’’ The message was then obtained by the Herald Sun.
Misses Round 1 with a foot injury
Only to return in Round 2 for the Grand Final rematch against Richmond. He kicks four goals and leads the Crows to victory in Adelaide.
Misses Rounds 9, 10 and 11
He completes a “mini pre-season” after a glute injury and knee soreness.
Plays a true captain’s game last Saturday night
His performance included a matchwinning last quarter to deliver the Crows a much-needed victory against West Coast.
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Originally published as Adelaide captain Taylor Walker ready to face Grand Final demons in rematch against Richmond